BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER HILLS — In all reality, Don Justice didn’t know what to think last season when Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest took the football field. The veteran coach had watched his team win back-to-back league championships and reach the postseason both times with senior-heavy teams. So when the Crusaders shared […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com TROY — When Troy opened up the 2010 prep football season with a 31-7 thrashing of Romeo, many around the Colts program felt good about the chances of a successful season. In Week 2, Troy rolled over Royal Oak (38-12), but veteran Gary Griffith saw plenty of flaws in […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com Since last making the playoffs in 2004, Troy Athens has dropped out of the spotlight. The Red Hawks have had just one winning season in the past six years and only nine victories the past four campaigns combined. Part of that is coaching, as the Red Hawks have had […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com TROY — As Chris Vitale watches his troops go through drills during football practice, the first-year head coach notices many things. There is a large disparity between several of his players. Some are very well-advanced and some are just on the learning curve. The most important thread, collectively, is […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com WATERFORD — Few high school football coaches have built as much of a legacy as Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes’ Mike Boyd. The veteran, who began his career in 1965 at Lakes, has had only six losing seasons in his career. He ranks in the top five all-time […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com Over the past three decades, six different local schools have reached at least the state semifinals in prep football. Last year Lake Orion made a return trip to that point — and with greater results. For the first time in three trips to the Final Four, Lake Orion captured […]
PREP FOOTBALL TEAM CAPSULES Below are the team capsules for the prep football teams in the coverage area for www.northoaklandsports.com, as compiled by Senior Editor Dan Stickradt and staff of interns. Auburn Hills Avondale HEAD COACH: Steve Deutsch ASSISTANT COACHES: Dave Schulz, James Prince, Torre Robinson, Anthony Epperson, Mike Zak. LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 7-4, 6-2 […]
TOP PREP FOOTBALL PLAYERS Senior Editor Dan Stickradt scouts the top prep football players in the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area for 2011. 1. ZACH COLLINS, Clarkston sr. LB (6-2, 210): Just the third, fourth-year starter under veteran coach Kurt Richardson, who is in his 25th season with the Wolves, Collins is like flies on ribroast when […]
PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS FAST FACTS A look historically at the prep football programs from the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area in the MHSAA tournament. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS: Lake Orion – 2010 (Division 1) Oxford – 1992 (Class BB) Rochester Adams – 2003 (Division 2) Troy – 1994 (Class AA) Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes – 2002 […]
PREP FOOTBALL SCHEDULES Below are the 2011 prep football varsity schedules for schools in the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area. Contact participating schools for further details. Updates and changes can be made by e-mailing Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com AUBURN HILLS AVONDALE Aug. 25 Warren Fitzgerald (A) Sept. 2 Hazel Park (A) Sept. 9 […]
ROCHESTER HILLS — Former Oakland University standout Will Hudson signed a professional contract with the Gold Coast Blaze of the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia on Monday, announced OU coach Greg Kampe. Hudson was an All-Summit League Second Team selection in his final season at OU in 2010-11 and set the Oakland single-season record […]
The second-round NBA draft pick has an opt-out clause to return to the NBA after the lockout ends ROCHESTER, Mich. – Former Oakland men’s basketball standout Keith Benson will be heading to the island of Sardinia to play professional basketball with Italian team Sassari, OU head coach Greg Kampe announced on Thursday. A second-round pick […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER HILLS — It took more than three decades, but Oakland University’s soccer field is finally equipped with lights. The Golden Grizzlies made sure that their debut night game had a grand finish in front of more than 1,000 fans. Oakland picked up a second-half goal from one of […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com LAKE ORION — Cole Schaenzer might be more remembered around the community of Lake Orion for his heroics on the gird iron. But it is his baseball talents that will allow him to keep playing sports at the next level. Schaenzer, a recent 2011 graduate of Lake Orion High […]
THE DANCE BEAT … MOTOR CITY TAP FEST The fourth annual Motor City Tap Fest is taking place in Detroit Aug. 18-21, with the main faculty performance show at Orchestral Hall in Detroit Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. Cost is $25 per person. The event brings in some of the top tap dancers from around […]
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com TROY — Better late than never for Chris Vitale. An football assistant coach in the prep scene during the past decade around Metro Detroit, Vitale assumed his new duties as head coach of the Troy Christian Leadership Academy Tuesday night — some eight days after the start of high […]
SPORTS BRIEFS — AUGUST COACHES NEEDED TEAM Basketball, Together Everyone Achieves More, is commencing its 10th year of travel basketball. The club currently has boys teams beginning 3rd grade through U-17 and girls teams in many of the same age groups. TEAM Basketball administration is looking for coaches in several age groups and players of […]
Four Stoney Creek soccer players sign letters of intent Four Rochester Stoney Creek athletes recently signed late to continue their athletics careers at the collegiate level. The four include Sheldon Medici (Western Michigan, soccer), Aaron Hebdon (Western Michigan, soccer), Brad Henry (Sienna Heights, soccer) and Ryan Finstad (Case Western, soccer).
